Weapons Of Our Warfare
Message Preached 6/3/98
Weapon Of Our Warfare--Repent
[2 Corinthians 10:4] (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,
but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
1. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 from several of the more popular translations
King James
2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the
flesh:
2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty
through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself
against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience
of Christ;
2 Corinthians 10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your
obedience is fulfilled.
NIV
2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the
world does.
2 Corinthians 10:4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On
the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets
itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to
make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your
obedience is complete.
Living Bible
2 Corinthians 10:3 It is true that I am an ordinary, weak human being, but I don't use
human plans and methods to win my battles.
2 Corinthians 10:4 I use God's mighty weapons, not those made by men, to knock down
the devil's strongholds.
2 Corinthians 10:5 These weapons can break down every proud argument against God
and every wall that can be built to keep men from finding him. With
these weapons I can capture rebels and bring them back to God and change them
into men whose hearts' desire is obedience to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:6 I will use these weapons against every rebel who remains after I have
first used them on you yourselves and you surrender to Christ.
New American Standard
2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the
flesh,
2 Corinthians 10:4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely
powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
2 Corinthians 10:5 {We are} destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised
up against the knowledge of God, and {we are} taking every thought captive to the
obedience of Christ,
2 Corinthians 10:6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is
complete.(emphasis added)
As we have seen, the war is for possession of
the thought process going on between our ears. My soul is my heavenly place. The question
is, “Who controls my heavenly place?” The war is about imaginations and
arguments (NIV) against God. These imaginations and arguments are walls (TLB) that keep
you and I and others from truly “finding him” (TLB). The war is about every high
thing (a thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God). The weapons are to
capture rebels (TLB) [rebellious] and bring them back to God. The war is to capture the
stronghold of thought and make it obedient to Christ. The war is to “change them into
men whose hearts' desire is obedience to Christ” (TLB).
The primary person each of us need to utilize
the weapons of warfare on is our self. Notice that I said primary. We can learn to use the
weapons on others. We are a corporate army, but individual soldiers. We first need to
activate them on our thoughts. Paul said that “I will use these weapons against
every rebel who remains after I have first used them on you” (TLB).
2. The Thought Process Stronghold
The correct thought process must be established
by the individual believer. Believers frequently do not process thoughts correctly.
Improper thought processes are developed for numerous reasons. Our childhood, our
environment, our parenting, our friends, our teachers, our preachers, our spouses, our
examples, music, reading material, etc all affect the way we think. These thoughts develop
strongholds for the devil to hide and dig in for war.
Schema (ske’me) is a word used in
psychology. The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word as “A pattern imposed
on complex reality or experience to assist in explaining it, mediate perception, or guide
response.” That simply means schema is the way an individual receives information and
processes that information. (We get our English word scheme--a secret plan--from the word
schema.) Non believers and believers develop strongholds in their thinking for the devil
because of their schema--the way they have processed the information they have received.
There is another word we need to look at. It is
the word paradigm (par’e-dim’). The word paradigm means “an example that
serves as pattern or model.” We all have had paradigms--examples or models. We have
since we can remember. I can remember as a child my hero was Roy Rogers the television
western star. I would get my stick horse (Trigger) and ride him in my back yard. I would
tie me a scarf around my neck like Roy did and wear long sleeved shirts in the summer. I
would strap me two toy pistols on and shoot all the bad guys and save the day. Good always
triumphed and bad was always punished. I am confident that is a stronghold in me today.
In today’s society a different type
“hero” is portrayed than when I was a child. We see a violence not made ugly.
Mass murders and drug lord glamor is the norm. Professional athlete are seen as idols even
though they are immoral and wicked.
Some politicians are none the better in our
society. Some of our national leaders permit, if not do, tremendous immoral and illegal
acts. The schema today of these paradigms is something like, “It’s their private
lives. It has nothing to do with their office.” The truth is an immoral and lying
leader is a paradigm for your child. If he or she hears society or a parent or a hero say
there is nothing wrong with that type of behavior the child develops a stronghold for the
devil.
This is not to say that forty years ago some
television stars, some athlete, some politicians, etc were not immoral or wicked. History
has proven some were. The difference is schema. The information was processed different
forty years ago concerning this. It was simply not accepted as proper behavior. Today it
is seen as acceptable behavior. When a paradigm is immoral or wicked the behavior is
justified and becomes acceptable by society, but not by God. We tend to think that if it
is acceptable with us then it is acceptable with God. We think that if it seems merciful
to us then it must be of God. It doesn’t work that way.
Thus the weapons of warfare are specifically
designed to war with incorrect schema--thought processes. When proper schema is utilized
the paradigm will shift. Our examples will shift from the violent, immoral, and wicked to
Christ and the Word of God.
Unless the child can schema that “Bevas
and Butthead” are full of immoral and wicked insinuations, they will accept their
actions and statements as correct. They will process that information as acceptable for
them. A stronghold is developed. It is doubtful that Bevas and Butthead would be a
child’s paradigm (could be). However a stronghold of thinking has been developed.
That was all the enemy needed Bevas and Butthead to do. When a paradigm of the child does
an immoral or wicked act that Bevas and Butthead portrayed as acceptable, the child’s
schema tells the child the wicked thing was acceptable. Therefore it must be acceptable.
Subtly through cartoon characters a stronghold was developed. This is where the weapon of
our warfare called repent comes into action.
3. The Weapon Repent
Repentance is the very first weapon we must
utilize to come into the kingdom of God. Once understood, we will then continuously
utilize that weapon. Satan will hinder or stop our growth as a believer unless we are
quick to activate the weapon of repentance. The weapon of repent would be likened to a
side arm pistol of a soldier. It should always be easily accessed and the quicker we are
to raise it and fire it the better we will proceed.
First let me show us that it is the first
necessary weapon. After his baptism, Jesus Christ went into the wilderness and was tested
by the devil. After that testing, Christ came preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.
His message was that it was time for the kingdom of God. Then he said, “Repent.”
MAR 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled,
and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Notice please, that the instruction was first repent
and then believe the gospel. Without first repenting, it is impossible to properly
believe the gospel.
On the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2,
Peter preached to the crowd in the streets of Jerusalem. The crowd was convicted and
asked, “What shall we do?” Peter said “Repent.”
ACT 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and
said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost.
Please notice the instruction by Peter was to
first repent. Then be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they shall receive
the Holy Ghost. Unless one repents, baptism cannot actually happen. The person can get
wet, but not experience baptism. Unless one repents, that person cannot receive the Holy
Ghost.
Not understanding repent is like having
the side arm weapon, but only using it for a hammer. We have the impression that repent
has to do with sadness and crying at an altar. We see it this way--A preacher is giving an
altar call. He says, “Get down to this altar and repent before God or you will go to
hell....” We may see someone going to the altar, crying, and being prayed for. The
preacher says, “That person has repented.” Well, maybe the person had a time of
repenting and maybe not.
Or perhaps you heard that repent means to
change the direction one is going. That is better, but still does not explain repent.
There is a reason a person changes their direction.
The word repent means to think
differently. In Acts 2:38 the word translated repent is the Greek word metanoeo
(Strong’s #3340) and means “to think differently, i.e. reconsider.” We find
the word involves the mind in its root words noeo (Strong’s #3539) and nous
(Strong’s #3563). The word repent simply involves the thinking and exercise of
the mind. Repent means to adjust the mind to receive spiritual truth. As we have seen
earlier, it is the schema--receiving information and processing that information.
Jesus said in Mark 1:14 that the kingdom was at
hand, “repent ye and believe the gospel.” He is instructing that people
must think. They must think differently. They must schema. They must process the
information. They must adjust their mind to receive spiritual truth. Then they could
experience the second part which was “believe the gospel.”
Peter at Pentecost said, “Repent....”
The Jews must think differently. Animal sacrifices and Judaism was no longer the way to
think. They must schema. They must collect the information and process that information.
They must adjust their minds to receive spiritual truth. Once they did that, they could
experience the second part and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. They must receive
the spiritual truth of Jesus Christ. If they repented--adjusted their minds to receive
spiritual truth--and entered covenant with Christ through baptism, they shall receive the
Holy Ghost.
In the New Testament and especially in
today’s society, the Lord will not tolerate ignorance. There is no excuse for
ignorance today. The Lord expects us to repent--adjust our thinking to receive spiritual
truth. In fact, he commands that we repent.
ACT 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth
all men every where to repent:
a. the weapon works on the greatest sinner
Repentance is a mighty weapon of warfare. When activated it will bring the greatest sinner
into righteousness. Jesus said,
MAT 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and
not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
The greatest problem in society today is that
people refuse to repent. They refuse to activate the thinking to receive spiritual truth.
They refuse to schema. Once a person accumulates information and correctly process that
information, that person will repent. The church today also refuses to repent. Though
Christians see a truth by the accumulation of information, they continue in their doctrine
and tradition even though that doctrine is in error. For example, many today will not
receive the Holy Ghost because they refuse to repent. The information is there. They
simply refuse to adjust their thinking to receive that spiritual truth.
b. this weapon brings joy in heaven
There is great joy in heaven when someone
learns to activate this weapon called repent. Once learned and utilized, it become
nearly impossible for the enemy to deceive us for an extended period. The Lord knows that
all he will need to do is get us the correct information. He knows we will accumulate that
information and receive it as spiritual truth. That gives him great joy. The Lord said,
LUK 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one
sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no
repentance.
LUK 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over
one sinner that repenteth.
c. this weapon is used after salvation
Repentance is not a one time action. It
continues with us constantly. Every time we see or hear a spiritual truth we
repent--adjust our thinking to receive spiritual truth. The Lord told the churches in the
Revelation to repent (Rev 2:5, 16, 21, 22; 3:3, 19). Churches are not buildings. Churches
are people. They had already repented once and received the gospel. They must now repent
again and receive the instructions from the Lord given in the Revelation.
The ability to repent is a mighty weapon
of our warfare. The person quick to activate and utilize that weapon will never stop
growing in the Spirit. The enemy will never stop their growth. They will constantly be
adjusting and receiving spiritual truth. The schema will process information correctly. It
will be nearly impossible to deceive that person. The paradigm will shift to Christ and to
the Word of the Lord. The Word and Christ will be the examples. The person that can
quickly repent will easily allow the kingdom of God to possess their heavenly place and
the throne will be established. Their soul (mind) will be filled with the Spirit and the
enemy will be driven out. Without the mighty weapon of repentance, deception, tradition
that makes the word of none affect, weakness, and thoughts in rebellion to Christ will
fill the heavenly place. The enemy will possess the heavenlies. The person will live a
defeated life. The person who activates repentance quickly and easily is assured an
abundant life (John 10:10). They enter the kingdom and believe.
MAR 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is
at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
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